Latch



Oct. 13, 1964 J. J. FANNING 3, 67

LATCH Filed Aug. 26, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. JOHN J. FANNINGwank/w ATTU RN EY$ Oct. 13, 1964 J. J. FANNING 3,152,467

LATCH Filed Aug. 26, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR JOHN J. FANNING q'roknus United States Patent 3,152,467 LATCH John J. Fanning, 6521 RoeBlvd., Prairie Village, Kans. Filed Aug. 26, 1963, Ser. No. 304,335 12Claims. (Cl. 70-74) This invention relates to certain new and usefulimprovements in latches, and more particularly to fastening devices forluggage, suitcases, cabinets, foot lockers and the like.

The invention contemplates the use of a latch or locking mechanismadapted to fasten two objects in closed position such as a door securedto a support or the like. It is also adaptable for use in fastening onewindow sash relative to the other.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a bracketsecured to one piece of a luggage having a spring urged cover memberattached thereto and adapted to be engaged by spring means secured to abody member attached to the other portion of the suitcase andfrictionally holding the cover member thereto.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide means for lockingthe cover member to the body member when the sash is in closed position;to provide a two-piece body member having curved slots in each partspaced from each other for the reception of a spring friction membertherein having ends extending outwardly from the body for engaging theside walls of the hinged cover member to frictionally hold the covermember in engagement with the body member; to provide means forfastening the bracket to the cover portion of the luggage and the bodyportion to the main body of the luggage; to provide a pin or shaft forrotatably mounting the cover member to the bracket; to provide springmeans engaging said pin to bias the cover member toward the body memberfor constantly urging the cover member to close position; to provide thecover member of channel shaped formation having sides parallel and thelower portion turned inwardly towards each other to act as a cam so thatthe ends of the springs in said grooves will pass thereover and hold thecover in closed position and to disengage the springs from engagementwith the inside walls of the side members of the cover when the cover isto be opened; to provide the inside of the side walls of the cover withserrations for engagement by the ends of the spring members; and toprovide a finger extension memher on the cover member for engagement ofthe use to disengage the cover from the body member.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a lockingmechanism for the latch including a recess in one of the body portionsintersected by a curved slot; to provide the other body member with acurved slot coinciding with the curved slot in the other body member andhaving a longitudinal slot intersecting the curved slot and extending tothe end of the body member; to provide a T-shaped spring member having acurved end engaging in the curved slot in the body member and having theends notched and extending outwardly of the sides of the body member toengage the walls of the cover member; to provide a pivoted lug on one ofthe body members having a locking mechanism spaced from the curved slotand extending outwardly and through one of said body members forengagement by a key for turning said lug to locking member and unlockingthe same; to provide an opening in the hinged cover member for access tothe locking mechanism; and to provide a device of this character simpleand economical to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent fromthe following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration and examplecertain embodiments of this invention.

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FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the latch mechanism embodying thefeatures of my invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectior1a1 view thereof taken on a line 22, FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on a line 3-3, FIG. 2 showing theends of the coil spring engaging the bracket member.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on a line 44, of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a disassembled perspective View of the body portions andspring and locking member shown in disassembled relation.

FIG. 6 is a perspective bottom view of the hinged cover member with partbroken away to illustrate mounting of the spring member.

FIG. 7 is a disassembled perspective view showing the hinged covermember fastened to a cover of a suitcase or the like and the body memberattached to the body of such case.

1 designates a latching mechanism embodying the features of my inventionshown attached to a piece of luggage or the like, 2 having a cover 3 anda body portion 4, the body portion showing a front wall 5 and the coverportion having a wall 6 mating therewith which constitutes the frontside of the suitcase. A bracket 7 is secured to the front side 6 of thecover 3 by rivets or the like 8 extending through openings 9 in saidbracket (FIG. 2). The bracket 7 has side wall 10 and 11 slightly taperedoutwardly as indicated at 12 (FIG. 2) and provided at substantially thecenter thereof with aligned openings 13 for receiving a pin or the like14 upon which is mounted a coiled spring 15 for a purpose laterdescribed.

A hinge cover member 16 is provided having a front portion 17, sidewalls 18 and 19 provided with aligned openings 20 near the rear end 21thereof through which the pin 14 extends for pivotally mounting thecover member 0n the bracket 7. The sides 18 and 19 of the cover member16 have their lower edges turned inwardly towards each other asindicated at 22 and 23 also for a purpose later described. The front 17has an extension 24 for a finger-hold for movement of the cover member.

A body 25 is provided for the locking mechanism and is secured to thewall 5 of the body of the suitcase by rivets or the like 26 throughopenings 27 and 28 in the body member for securing said body member tothe wall 6 of the body 4 of the luggage.

The body 25 is made in two pieces 29 and 30, the piece 29 being adjacentthe wall 5 of the body of the suitcase, hereinafter referred to as theback member, and the piece 30 is referred to as the top member. The backmember 29 is provided with spaced curved slots 31 and 32 and the toppiece 30 is provided with curved slots 33 and 34 mating with the slots31 and 32. Adapted to engage in the slots 31 and 33 and 32 and 34respective ly are leaf springs 35 and 36 having their ends extendingoutwardly of the body pieces 29 and 30 as indicated at 37 and 38 (FIG.3). While the ends 37 and 38 are slightly rounded or curved outwardly asshown at 38'.

The insides of the side walls 18 and 19 of the cover member 16 areprovided with transversely extending serrations 33 (FIG. 6) and when thecover member is closed over the ends 37 and 38 of the springs 35 and 36,the ends will engage in these serrations but due to the curvature of themembers 35 and 36 there will be no appreciable resistance to the closingaction of the cover member. The coil spring 15 has ends 4%) and 41extending rearwardly and engaging the bottom 42 of the brackets 7 asillustrated in FIG. 3 so that the forward end of the cover member willalways be spring urged or biased toward the body member of the latchmechanlsm.

When the luggage is open and the cover 16 moved toward closed positionthe inwardly curved lower edges 22 and 23 of the side walls 13 and 19will only slightly engage the side walls 12 of the bracket 7 moving thewalls outwardly only suihciently to move over the bracket and the bodymember 25. The walls of the cover 16 are slightly curved at the cornersas indicated at 23' (FIG. 6). When the suitcase is closed any forcetending to move the cover member 16 upwardly will be resisted by theends 37 and 38 of the spring members 35 and 36 engaging the serrations39. To release the latch outward force is applied to the finger member24 to raise the cover member 16 causing the ends 37 and 38 of thesprings 35 and 36 to be compressed inwardly by the cam action caused bysaid ends having to pass the inwardly turned portions 22 and 23 of theside walls 18 and 19.

A locking mechanism, if desired, may be provided in the body 25. Thebody portion 29 is provided with a recessed portion 42 having a straightupper wall 43, a straight side wall 44 and a curved side wall 45. Therecessed portion 42 is intersected by a curved groove 46 having agreater width at the center as indicated at 47 than at the edges Thebody portion 36 has a curved groove portion 49 with a greater width atthe center 50 than at the side edges 51 which correspond to the groove4-6 in the body portion 29. The groove portion 48 is intersected by aslot 52 which extends to the lower end 53 of the body portion 36.

A locking member 54 is provided of substantially T shape having avertical leg 55 which engages in the slot 52 of the body portion 3% anda leg 56 which extends outwardly from the bottom member as shown in FIG.3. The lock 54 has a curved spring member 57 secured to the upper end ofthe leg 55 and having notched ends 58 and 59 which extend outwardly ofthe body member as indicated at 60 and 61 (FIG. 3). The inside walls ofthe side members 18 and 19 of the cover member 16 have longitudinalserrations 62 which are engaged by the notched ends 58 and 59 of thelocking member to assist in holding the cover member secured to the bodymember. The locking member 54 is movable longitudinally in the bodymember 25 through the slot 52 through the spring action to disengage theends 58 and 59 from the side walls of the cover member. The body member3% is provided at substantially the center thereof with an opening 63and mounted therein is a lock mechanism 64 operated by a key (not shown)and which includes a pivoted lug or latch member 65 carried by a pin 66of the lock mechanism. The cover 16 has an elongated opening 67 throughwhich the lock mechanism may be manipulated by the key (not shown).

In operation of the locking mechanism, turning of the key in the loci;will cause the end 63 of the lug 65 to engage against the curved surface6% of the spring member 57 of the locking mechanism 54 to push thelocking mechanism outwardly of the body 25 as illustrated in PEG. 3.When in this position the notched ends 6t, and 61 of the spring member57 engage the scration 62 of the side walls of the hinge cover member 16and assist in retaining the same in locked position. When the lug 65 ismoved out of contact with the locking member 54 upward pressure on thecross-bar 56 of the locking member will release the notched ends 6% and61 from the grooves of the cover member so that the cover member may beraised and the cover member separated from the body 25 throughdisengagement of the spring iembers 35' and 36 from said cover member aspreviously described.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that I have provided an improvedlocking member for luggage, cabinets, suitcases, foot lockers or anyother type of door opening wherein one member may be fastened to asupport and the other member to a movable member.

It is to be understood that while certain forms of this invention havebeen illustrated and described, it is not to be limited to the specificforms or arrangement of parts herein described and shown except insofaras such limitations are included in the claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A latch mechanismfor securing two objects together, at least one of said'objects beingmovable with respect to the other, comprising,

(a) a body member having at least one curved fiat opening extendingtransversely therethrough secured to one of said objects,

(b) means in said opening having portions extending outwardly ofsaidbody member,

(0) a cover member having side walls extending over said body memberwhen closed,

(d) means pivotally securing said cover member to the other of saidobjects,

(e) means carried by said last named means for urging said cover membertoward said body member, whereby when said cover is closed over the bodymember the portions extending outwardly of said body member will engagethe side walls of the cover member to retain the same in closedposition.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first named means are flexibleplate members.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 including serrations on said side walls ofthe cover member adapted to be engaged by said portions of the flexibleplate members extending outwardly of said body member.

4. A latch mechanism for a suitcase or the like having a top and a bodywith a front wall comprising,

(a) a two piece body member having spaced curved grooves extendingtransversely therethrough secured to the wall of said body of thesuitcase, said pieces being adapted to lie one on top of the other withthe grooves in alignment,

(b) means in said grooves having portions extending outwardly of saidbody member,

(0) a cover member having side walls extending over said body whenclosed,

(d) means pivotally securing said cover member to the wall of the top ofsaid suitcase,

(e) means carried by said last named means for urging said cover membertoward said body member, whereby when said cover is closed over the bodymember the portions of said first named means extending outwardly ofsaid grooves will engage the side walls of the cover member to retainthe same in closed position.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the first named means are flexibleplate members.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 including serrations on said side walls ofthe cover member adapted to be engaged by said portions of the flexibleplate members extending outwardly of said body member and the loweredges of said side walls being turned inwardly toward each other toresist outward movement of the cover member.

7. A latch mechanism for a case or the like having a body portion and atop comprising,

(a) a body member having a back piece and a front piece providing matingfaces, said mating faces having aligned curved grooves extendingtransversely through said pieces,

(1)) resilient means in said grooves having portions extending outwardlyof the body member,

(c) a bracket fixed to the top of the case adjacent' said body member,

(d) a cover member having side walls with lower edges pivotally securedto said bracket adapted to engage over said body member, said loweredges of the side walls being turned inwardly toward each other and saidside walls having serrations adapted to be engaged by said outwardlyextending portions of said resilient means in said grooves, and

(e) spring means normally urging said cover toward the body member,whereby when said cover is closed over the body member the portions ofsaid resilient means extending outwardly of said grooves will engage theserrations in the side walls of the cover member to retain the same inclosed position.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the resilient means in said groovesare fiat spring steel.

9. A latch mechanism for a suitcase or the like having a top and a bodywith a front wall comprising,

(a) a two piece body member having spaced curved grooves extendingtransversely therethrough secured to the Wall of said body of thesuitcase, said pieces being adapted to lie one on top of the other withthe grooves in alignment,

(b) means in said grooves having portions extending outwardly of saidbody member,

(0) a cover member having side walls extending over said body whenclosed,

(d) means pivotally securing said cover member to the wall of the top ofsaid suitcase,

(e) means carried by said last named means for urging said cover membertoward said body member, whereby when said cover is closed over the bodymember the portions of said first named means extending outwardly ofsaid grooves will engage the side walls of the cover member tofrictionally retain the same in closed position, and

(7") means carried by the body member locking said cover member thereto.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said locking means includes arecessed portion in one of said body pieces spaced from said grooves, acurved groove transversely of said body intersecting said recess, .a lugpivotally mounted in said recess, the other one of said body piecehaving a groove mating with the groove in the other body piece andhaving a slot intersecting said groove in the other body piece, alocking member having a leg engaging in said last named slot and havinga transverse arm on one end extending outwardly of the body member, theother end of the locking member having a flat curved flexible springmember engaging in said last named mating grooves and having endsextending outwardly of body, and key means carried by said other of thebody pieces for rotating said lug to cause the same to flex said springmember to cause the ends thereof to engage the sides of the cover memberto lock said cover member to said body member.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the side walls of the cover memberare serrated longitudinally and the ends of said curved flexible springmember are notched to engage said side walls.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the first named means are flexibleplate members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. A LATCH MECHANISM FOR SECURING TWO OBJECTS TOGETHER, AT LEAST ONE OFSAID OBJECTS BEING MOVABLE WITH RESPECT TO THE OTHER, COMPRISING, (A) ABODY MEMBER HAVING AT LEAST ONE CURVED FLAT OPENING EXTENDINGTRANSVERSELY THERETHROUGH SECURED TO ONE OF SAID OBJECTS, (B) MEANS INSAID OPENING HAVING PORTIONS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF SAID BODY MEMBER,(C) A COVER MEMBER HAVING SIDE WALLS EXTENDING OVER SAID BODY MEMBERWHEN CLOSED, (D) MEANS PIVOTALLY SECURING SAID COVER MEMBER TO THE OTHEROF SAID OBJECTS, (E) MEANS CARRIED BY SAID LAST NAMED MEANS FOR URGINGSAID COVER MEMBER TOWARD SAID BODY MEMBER, WHEREBY WHEN SAID COVER ISCLOSED OVER THE BODY MEMBER THE PORTIONS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF SAIDBODY MEMBER WILL ENGAGE THE SIDE WALLS OF THE COVER MEMBER TO RETAIN THESAME IN CLOSED POSITION.